Brooch
1800-50 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
The star is made from the shell of turtles. The jewellery makers softened the shell of the turtle (usually the hawksbill turtle) by boiling it in salt water before moulding it in heated dies. They then engraved the floral patterns and finally inlaid them with tiny flakes of precious metal.
This decoration is known as 'piqué' after the French term for pricking the tortoise shell. Piqué work seems to have originated in Naples in the 18th century. The technique was perfected in France and brought to Britain by Huguenot craftsmen. The Huguenots were Protestant refugees who fled from France to avoid religious persecution.
This decoration is known as 'piqué' after the French term for pricking the tortoise shell. Piqué work seems to have originated in Naples in the 18th century. The technique was perfected in France and brought to Britain by Huguenot craftsmen. The Huguenots were Protestant refugees who fled from France to avoid religious persecution.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Piqué, tortoiseshell inlaid with silver and gold |
Brief description | Piqué brooch in the shape of a five-pointed star, tortoise-shell inlaid with silver and gold, England, 1800-50 |
Physical description | Piqué brooch in the shape of a five-pointed star. Made from tortoise-shell inlaid with silver and gold. |
Dimensions |
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Credit line | Given by Arthur Myers Smith |
Subject depicted | |
Summary | The star is made from the shell of turtles. The jewellery makers softened the shell of the turtle (usually the hawksbill turtle) by boiling it in salt water before moulding it in heated dies. They then engraved the floral patterns and finally inlaid them with tiny flakes of precious metal. This decoration is known as 'piqué' after the French term for pricking the tortoise shell. Piqué work seems to have originated in Naples in the 18th century. The technique was perfected in France and brought to Britain by Huguenot craftsmen. The Huguenots were Protestant refugees who fled from France to avoid religious persecution. |
Associated objects |
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Collection | |
Accession number | M.55-1916 |
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Record created | August 18, 2005 |
Record URL |
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